Ascension Island Diaries - Spring 2016

Ascension Island - Part 1

As one of the most remote British overseas territories and being rich in military and maritime history, Ascension Island in itself is an interesting place. Add in to the mix some of the finest blue water sport fishing on the planet along with a truly unique travelling experience........and that's all my boxes ticked!

A tiny speck of volcanic rock, with Africa roughly 1000 miles to the East and South America the same to the West, Ascension had long been on the wish list. It's an RAF base and important Mid-Atlantic stop over for the military with a 200 mile exclusion zone around it. About as remote as it comes and with very little commercial fishing pressure.

Anyone plugged in to the fishing grapevine over the years will probably have heard about the incredible sport that can be found at this unique place. Reports from other anglers and stuff on the net are what initially caught my attention. The final nail in the coffin was when my friend Dave Lambert returned from a trip there.

The stories and photos were enough to make me vow to get there one day with him and experience it too. Tales of huge schools of yellowfin tuna, amberjacks, wahoo, dorado, sailfish, marlin, snapper and more. With large, powerful fish it looked to be challenging and a lot of fun at the same time. It was a dream tropical fishing adventure.

It's not a cheap trip due to the remote location but you only live once and you can't spend it when you're dead. That's my philosophy anyway! Sometimes you just have to do these things, catching a big tuna there had always been a dream. Dave was going next year anyway, so I jumped on board.

After dealing with a stack of military and government paperwork regarding the flights and access permits, the all clear was granted. We booked up a week with accommodation, a small sport fishing boat and skipper Craig. We chose February. It is a good time for large numbers of species although it's low season for the yellowfin tuna, but they are there year round.  

In typical fashion, the anticipation in the build up to the trip was long and torturous. Fortunately, the gear was one thing I didn’t need to worry about as it was all taken care of by Dave. Being a well travelled tropical angler he had everything we'd need already. Popping rods, fly rods, jigging rods, Shimano Stella reels and all manner of end gear and lures imaginable.  

The main street in Georgetown, the capital!

Reels were filled with fresh braid and fly lines, split rings and hooks were upgraded, all the gear was checked over with a careful eye. Nothing can be left to chance on these trips..

When the day of our departure finally came, there was a great feeling of excitement. It had been a whirlwind of planning and anticipation from the conception of the idea to finally parking up at RAF Brize Norton for the flight. We seemed like the odd ones out in the departure lounge with all our fishing gear, surrounded by relaxed military personnel in their civies. It was a lot more chilled out than I had imagined it to be.

Our flight was 8 hours and without fuss in an unmarked, drab grey military transporter jet......and there was me thinking I'd be dropped out of the back of a Hercules! With Ascension on GMT there's no jet lag either, which is a nice bonus. There aren't many tropical fishing destinations where you can say that!

Craig (our excellent skipper) Dave and I

Craig, our skipper, was there to meet us with the news that some unusually large swell had come in and it wouldn't be possible to get the boat to the dock that day. This was disappointing news as our initial plan had been to get straight on the water, that's fishing for you though. Some things are the same wherever you are in the world. It gave me the chance to have a wander round and check out the island anyway.

Georgetown is the main settlement. With just one small main street and the dock there really isn't much going on. Everyone was working during the day and there was an eerie silence about the place. It seemed the 'Saints Bar' was the only place to be in the evenings though! No one is in a hurry and every one gives you a wave. I've never been anywhere quite like it before.

We spent the afternoon at Craigs place down by the beach, drinking a few beers and getting all the rods rigged and ready to go. The swells seemed to ease as the day slipped away and it was all looking good for us to get out on the water the following morning.

A plan of attack was discussed over dinner and it was agreed that we'd just ease ourselves in for the first day. Craig had installed a few FAD's recently which had large schools of fish resident under them now. It seemed like a good place to start, we could throw a few lures, jigs and flies, do a little trolling and get a few species under our belts. Craig told us that there hadn't been many tuna around in recent days according to the local reports but plenty of dorado. Either way, I just couldn't wait to get out fishing. We were also to be joined by another angler, Mick. He's the pilot of the military plane we flew in on and also likes to wet a line.

The swells were still rolling in against the dock the next morning, it was a little hairy getting on the boat but we all made it with no mishaps. There were huge shoals of trigger fish all around us as we meandered out through the other craft to the open water in the early morning light. The depth dropped away quickly then and within minutes we were in clear blue water and depths over 100m. There's no long steam out to the fishing grounds of Ascension, which is another reason it's such an attractive destination.

We pushed out to the first mark, one of Craig's FAD's, and immediately spotted shoals of juvenile almaco and amber jack, rainbow runners, blue runners and a few dorado milling around. It was insane the number of fish that were there. The FAD's were very effective.

We made a sweeping pass around the fish with a couple of lures trolling out the back and were immediately rewarded with a nice school size dorado and a rainbow runner. Straight into the thick of it with a leaping dorado at the back of the boat was about as perfect a start as you could hope for.

Mick with our first Dorado

After dealing with the fish, Craig crept the boat in and anchored up to the FAD as we prepared the fly rods. Trying to pitch a fly in front of a fast moving dorado was near on impossible in the stiff breeze. Every time the fly hit the water it was blitzed by the hordes of almacos anyway, tearing off with the line down into the backing. It amazed me how much power these small fish of two or three pounds actually have. If the jacks didn't get to it then the sea birds would. It was hectic fishing to say the least. Lots to think about.

We filled our boots with the small stuff around the FAD and then moved on. Fishing on the drift, we dropped speed jigs down to the bottom to see what was lurking deep below. Ripping the knife style jigs up at speed proved the downfall of many an amber and almaco jack. The sea bed must have been paved with them, most drops would result in a hit or two but repeatedlyworking the fish up from the 100m mark proved to be hard work over time. Most were around the 5 to 10 lb mark with the odd better specimen that put up a terrific scrap on the short little jigging rods.  

A nice rainbow runner for Mick

Craig informed us there are monster sized amberjack that grow to the 100lb mark in the waters surrounding Ascension. It's a case of wading through the fish on the jig, which would certainly test the endurance of even the most hardened jig fisher. Or, fishing large livebaits, which is a far more selective method for the bigger fish.

Our first day was finished off with a few hours chunking on the drift for yellowfin tuna. We didn't nail our target, with just a couple of small dorado and an oceanic triggerfish finding the slick of our chum line. No monsters, but a very fishy day all round with lots of action and a good introduction to fishing Ascension. With fresh dorado steaks on the barbecue for dinner, it was a fitting end to an excellent first day. Craig kept insisting it was a rubbish days fishing by Ascension standards, I couldn't wait to find out what a good day was like!

My beautiful Dorado

Join me next month for part 2 of this 'Ascension Island' series where we get to grips with some of the monsters that Ascension island is famous for. Until then....Tight lines!

          

                             The search for Yellowfin Tuna - Part 2

The Yellowfin Tuna must surely be the most striking and attractive of all the Tuna species. With it's vivid yellow colouration and large sickle-shape fins, they are rather easy on the eye. I'd longed to admire one up close for many years and Ascension Island happens to be one of the best places on the planet to tangle with one.

When I've spoken to other anglers of their experiences with these fish there were similarities in their responses. Expressions such as 'the pain' and 'the burn' were common, they all shared in the elation and relief of finally getting the fish to the boat. These fish fight long, they fight hard and they fight deep. Titanic battles, up to and sometimes over two hours long seemed to be the norm and with specimens that can be well over 300lbs in weight, it's no 

surprise either.

With our visit being in February, the odds weren't too favourable as it's low season for the Tuna. They are present in their largest numbers throughout the summer months but the locals swear there are resident fish available year round, albeit smaller specimens up to the 150lb mark. Craig, our skipper, insisted that it would happen. We'd just have to work that little bit harder to make it so.

Bite off's would happen on occasion....there's some big sharks out there!

There are many ways of catching the Yellowfins that Ascension is famous for and when at their most numerous the most exciting has to be using a large surface popping lure. I'd imagine there's little in the world of fishing to top the experience of seeing one of these leviathans smashing into your lure. It's also possible to catch them by trolling large lures, pitching live-baits at showing fish or chunking for them.

Chunking is the technique the local guys use to deadly effect, either anchored up or on the drift. They are masters at creating a chum trail and drawing the Tuna to the boat. They simply freeline chunks of fish on large circle hooks down the chum line, letting out line gradually to ensure the bait drifts in a natural fashion. It's simple and very effective.

Given that it was low season, chunking and trolling large lures were to be our best chance of finding a few fish. The numbers simply weren't there to justify the exhausting task of chucking huge poppers around all day. I just wanted to be connected to one and wasn't fussy about how it happened. The real thrills start from the moment of connection when all hell breaks loose......or so I'd been told!

15 minutes in and 'the burn' is getting to me

As detailed last month, our first attempt at chunking for the Tuna was unsuccessful and day two proved no different. The fish just didn't seem to be around. However, things can change fast on Ascension so I wasn't too worried at that point in time.

Proving just how fast things really can change out there was some interesting news from one of the local guys, Kimbo. He rocked up to the 'Saints Bar' late on our second day with tales of how he managed to boat 6 Yellowfins up to the 100lb mark. They hadn't been seen for days and then they just appeared out of nowhere at dusk. It did wonders for our confidence!

The following afternoon, Dave, Craig and I headed out to Kimbo's spot full of excitement. He had kindly left his anchor out there so all we had to do was locate the marker buoy and tie up to it, putting us on the spot of his previous success. We were well loaded with slabs of frozen sardines for chum and bait. Would the Tuna show up again though?

Craig is a master at creating a chum trail, he's been doing it for years and got to work the moment the boat had settled. According to him it's all a question of timing, little and often being the key. As I stared down into the cobalt blue depths, I could see the enticing trail drifting down the tide. The blood and the scent combined with the flash of the chunks as they flutter away must be very appealing to the Tuna.

Dave and I were like coiled springs, the anticipation was incredible. Some days you just get the feeling that it's going to happen. Everything felt right, the current was good as well. Not too fast and not too slow. Craig was also making all the right noises.

We'd been trotting our half sardine baits down the chum line for an hour and a half without any action. Then from out of nowhere line started tearing through Dave's fingers. He wound down to the fish and his rod took the load. Immediately, the line started to cut up through the water and we were treated to the sight of a fine looking dorado cartwheeling through the air. It was all lit up in incredible shades of blue, yellow and green. Not what we were after, but there were no complaints. Catching these fish is always a thrill.

As they often travel in schools we expected more dorado action straight away, but it then went quiet again. Another half an hour passed while Craig kept introducing the chum and then I finally got a chance. Line started pouring from my spool and my heart began to race. As I slammed over the bail arm and wound down to the fish I hoped that this was the Tuna I'd been waiting for. What happened next can only be described as the most incredible run I have ever experienced from a fish!

In contrast to Dave's fish, mine sounded immediately heading straight for the bottom. The reels drag howled in protest as the rod bent to the butt and Craig screamed "TUNA!". I held on for dear life as the unseen beast tore 100m of braid from the spool before finally stopping. It was then that the hard work began. The task of pumping this fish back up through the depths was the most intense battle I have ever experienced with a fish.

It truly was a case of 'one step forwards, two steps back'. As I gained a little line and pumped the fish up a few meters, it would respond by ripping all of it and more from the reel. It was a battle of wills with my heavy spinning rod bent to the butt, taking on it's full fighting curve. After some time, the fish stopped running for the bottom and started to circle way down deep below us. Craig was quick to point out this fact and reckoned that I now had the advantage over the fish as it had tired a little. It sure didn't feel like it to me as the ache in my back and arms became apparent.

Craig explained that as the fish circled there was a point in the rotation that I could pump it up a turn or two. When the fish came around directly below us I had the advantage. After a few attempts, I found the sweet spot and got into the rhythm of bringing the fish up little by little. Without a doubt this was the most stubborn fish I had ever been attached to. I now knew exactly what people meant when they talked of 'the burn' and 'the pain'!

Some 30 odd minutes after hooking it, the impressive sight of a big Yellowfin came steadily up from the depths, circling slowly. With it's tail beating a relentless rhythm, the sight of it gave me a final burst of energy and I was able to raise the fish to the surface. Craig grabbed the leader and gaffed the fish through the membrane of the bottom lip for unhooking. The circle hook was easily removed from the corner of the mouth and we bought the fish into the boat for a quick photo. As I gazed at my prize, I was fascinated by the 'design' of these incredible creatures. Evolution has done them proud. Every fin has it's own recess or slot that it folds into making them perfectly streamlined and efficient. They're built for speed.

Watching the fish steam off back into the depths after the release was a joy. The feeling of relief and elation was overwhelming. I'd been told all along that there's nothing that fights quite like a large tuna and after the experience of catching my first one, I'd have to say I agree. I was beaten.

For the remainder of our trip the Tuna were around every day and we experienced some incredible fishing. With every fish that was fought my technique improved. Most of the fish were in the 70 to 120lb class and to be honest I'd not really want to hook one any bigger! The sight of numbers of Tuna in the clear water all circling the boat and competing for the chum is something I shall never forget. It was incredible.

Join me next month for the final part of my 'Ascension Island Diaries' where I'll share some of the other highlights from the trip with you all. Until then – Tight Lines!

Make or Break - Part 3

The marine life at Ascension will blow your mind

For this final part of the 'Ascension Diaries' I'm going to run through a few of the other highlights of our week. It's been difficult to choose them as the fishing is so varied and the species so numerous but these are the moments that stand out in my mind.

Although not my favourite technique due to the long periods of inactivity, trolling has it's place. For some of the species that frequent the waters of Ascension then there really is no other choice. Dave and I decided that we would spend one full day pulling large lures along the drop-offs and way out into the deep blue to see if we could find any Wahoo, Sailfish or possibly even a Marlin. Ascension is one of the best places in the world to target Atlantic Blue Marlin with fish over 1000lb caught every year. Hooking something like that in our small boat would certainly prove interesting and the thing with Ascension is that anything really is possible!

The dock at Georgetown

We used a selection of large, rubber skirted lures and big yozuri marauders in a spread behind the boat and started by trolling along the drop-off's first. These are typically the haunt of the Wahoo so we hoped to pick up a couple of these before then heading out into deeper water to try for the Billfish.

Nothing touched our lures as we made our way round to the back of the island following the drop-off's, the only noise was the hum of the engines and the sea birds circling above us. Dave and I were taking it in turns on the rods and I was first up. Just as we were approaching 'Bird Island' the left hand rod burst into life briefly before falling silent again. I wound the line in and checked the lure, something had grabbed it but somehow failed to hook up so we re-set the lines and continued.

A nice Black Jack

Dave, being ever the gentleman, allowed me another turn on the rods as it was a failed strike and it wasn't long before the left hand rod was away again. There were no problems this time and I was connected to a lively fish, tough to call at first but once the leaping and surface action started there was no mistaking a nice Dorado. We quickly unhooked and returned this fish so we could get the lures back in the water. It seemed we had come across a productive area.

Dave took up position at the back of the boat and was watching the rods like a hawk, poised and ready for action. It was all starting to happen and the next run was on the right hand rod with the purple marauder lure. The reel was howling as line pored from it at an incredible rate. Craig knocked the boat into neutral as he screamed 'Wahoo!' and Dave hung on for dear life. The initial run was insanely fast which is typical of the species, they are built for speed!

After a dogged fight, the fish was brought into the boat for unhooking. With their fearsome dentistry this is a job that requires the utmost care and Craigs experience shone through here. He had the hooks out and the fish into Daves arms for a photo in no time at all. They really are the most striking of fish with their beautiful colours and markings, I made sure to get some quality shots of this one. As it turned out this was the only Wahoo we got to see on the trip, but what a fish it was!

Oceanic Trigger Fish

After the Wahoo, we headed out into deeper water to see if we could find a Billfish, it had to be worth a shot. February is peak time for the Marlin and the start of the Sailfish run so anything was possible. I took up position at the rear as we headed out and awaited my turn, I'd never caught a Billfish and was rather excited at the prospect of doing so.

A good half an hour passed before the left hand rod burst into life and I was on it in a flash. 

Something wasn't quite right, certainly not the heavy resistance I was hoping for. It felt like a small fish just rattling away on the rod tip. Sure enough, as I wound it in we were all surprised to see a juvenile Almaco Jack of 5lb or so attached to the end of our large skirted lure. Not what we were expecting way out in the deeps and definitely way off his patch. Hanging out on the surface like that he was pushing his luck. Marlin fodder for sure!

Blue Runner

I retired to the front of the boat and let Dave up the back for his turn on the rods. We trolled for what felt like hours, riding the large swells with the brisk wind in our ears. I had pretty much written it off out there and we were discussing plans for the remainder of the day. The weather had taken a turn for the worse and our thoughts were leaning to a spot of inshore lure fishing.

Then out of the blue, as is typical of this style of fishing, the left hand line was away. Dave grabbed the rod and we were treated to the sight of a nice Sailfish leaping and thrashing it's head angrily as the water boiled. Dave looked at me and told me to take it as he'd caught one before and I was a Billfish virgin. I shook my head and told him to crack on, it was his turn and his fish. A very kind gesture, but some things are meant to be and that fish wasn't mine. I would have felt cheated had I taken the rod from him.

The fight was typically spectacular and to be honest I enjoyed just being there, sharing in the moment with Dave and Craig. To see the fish up close and personal in itself was a treat, they are such magnificent creatures. I did the honours with the camera while the fish was unhooked by the boat, never leaving the water. After a little reviving, the fish swam away strongly. With that, we called it a day and headed back inshore as the clouds built ever thicker behind us.

Although we didn't catch a Marlin, I did get to see one. On my last day, I was out in the boat alone with Craig and I was really going for it, knowing that time was against me. I'd done five Tuna back to back by fishing chunks and was pretty much exhausted at that point. A school of good sized Rainbow Runners had moved in under the boat and was intercepting all the chum so I switched to a smaller hook and was trying for these as an 'easier' option. Easy on my back but very difficult to catch, I was failing miserably and missing every lightning fast bite!

Suddenly, all the Rainbow Runners grouped up and hid tight under the boat as Craig screamed 'Marlin!'. I looked down into the clear water and was treated to the sight of a monstrous fish that must have been pushing 500lb, all lit up in incredible hues of green and blue. It circled the boat twice at great speed and then ploughed through the shoal of fish cowering underneath us before vanishing from sight. It was all over in a flash. Magnificent and imprinted in my mind forever. Incredible!

Nice Almaco Jack

Fishing for the bottom dwellers was pretty spectacular too, there are so many fish down there. Working the 100m line seemed to be a good depth, there were plenty of fish and it wasn't too much hard work on the retrieve. Dropping whole sardines or jigs down was the best way of getting into the fish and the majority of bites would come from Almaco Jacks, Amberjacks and Grouper. You could pretty much guarantee a fish a chuck like this, it's staggering really.

The Amberjacks and Almacos are great fun, they have the nickname 'Nodders' due to the way they fight on the short rods. Even with drags locked down hard fish of 10lb are able to take line, they are just pure muscle and when they decide they want to push hard for the bottom you just have to hang on and enjoy the ride. Catching anything larger guarantees you a solid workout. Jigging enthusiasts have been known to catch 100 fish or more in a day, such is the quality of the fishing on Ascension.

Dave with an AmberJack

Every trip has a tale of the one that got away and this trip was no exception. While we were chunking for Tuna one afternoon, Dave hooked a fish and had it on for nearly 2 hours. The fish simply would not give up and Craig called it as 200lb+. Finally, with Dave almost in bits, we got a glimpse of the fish below the boat and it was indeed enormous. It looked at least twice the size of the others we had been catching, a proper sea beast! Then disaster struck as the pressure became too much and his rod snapped at the butt. With the fish now being played directly from the reel it was impossible to get any leverage on it. Craig grabbed the braid and started to hand line the fish up inch by inch. It was no more than a few meters from our reach when the line parted and we had to watch as the fish turned and slowly swam back into the inky depths. It was heartbreaking. So close. It would have been the biggest Tuna of the trip as well, just goes to show the raw power of these fish. You win some, you lose some!

Dave....minutes before the smashing of his rod!

Sadly, Ascension had now been closed to the general public. As of now, there is no sport fishing happening. The Government claim it is due to problems and safety issues with the runway. My thoughts go out to the people living on the island who's livelihoods are at stake. It is claimed that the island will re-open in 2020....fingers crossed! I'm glad I made it to this very unique and special place when I did......

Tight Lines!

Thanks to Ellen Cuylaerts for the underwater photography :)